Nut member



Oct. l 4, 1941.; H. J. MURPHY. 2,259,425

NUT MEMBER Filed May 31 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.6.

3 HOWARD J. M UR PHY,

b my.

Oct. 14, 1941. H. J. MURPHY 5 NUTMEMBER Filed May 31,1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 8;

INVENTOR HOWARD J, MURPHY,

the nut.

Patented Oct. 14, 1941 I UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE- I 2,259,425

, NUT MEMBER.

Howard J. Murphy, Greenwood, Masa, asslgnor to United-Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass, a corporation oi Massachusetts Application May 51, 1939. Serial No. 276,546

(Cl. 85-32) V 2 Claims.

This invention relates to spring nuts and particularly to nuts used in combination with a bolt' for holding two members tightly together. The

nut isoi the type adapted to be passed quickly over the end of the bolt and drawn tightly against one of the (members by one or more turns of the .bolt to hold the members tightly together.

Spring nuts are known and used which provide a base and resilient tongues struckfrom the base which define an opening at their ends for receiving a bolt during passage of the nut over the end 'of a bolt. In these nuts the bolt-receiving Op ning h s a diameter which is less than the major diameter of the bolt with the result that the tongues move apart against their spring tension during passage over the crests of the bolt threads and then contractto engage within the angles of the thre s. Then when the nut is tightened down the tongues follow the bolt threads downwardly, at the same time moving into closer relation at their free ends so as to fetch up against the bolt shank. 'These nuts may also have. a base 7 portion which is normally arched so as. to cause the tongues to exert an inward force on the shank of the bolt when the basev has been fiattened as a result of tightening the nut. While nuts 01- this class have been generally satisfactory and have been used in great quantities, my present invention sets out a nut effecting differences in mechanical construction directed to an imroved action over the aforesaid known constructions.

One object of my present invention is the provision of a nut capable oigripping more firmly theshait of a bolt when in pre-tightened assembly with the bolt so that after accidental unloosement from tightened position it is impossible for the nut to ride free from thebolt shank even though the installation with whichfit is assembled is subjected to substantial jar or vibration.

ened down upon Fig. 2 is a top plan view of my first iorm of nut member per se;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the installation of Fig. 1 showing the manner in which my first formof nut grips firmly the bolt shank in assembled untig'htened position relative to the bolt shank;

Fig. 4 is a side elevationsimilar to Fig. 2 showing the nut member in final tightened or locked position;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 oi Fig. 2; r

Fig. 6 is a top planview of my secondiorm oi. nut member per se; v

Fig. 7 is a top'fplan view of my third form of nut member per se;

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view, greatly enlarged. showing my first form of nut member before assembly with a bolt;

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic showing my first form of nut member at the limit of its pre-tightened-positions on the bolt shank and immediately preceding final tightening action: and

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view, greatly enlarged, showing my first form of nut member in final locked engagement with the bolt shank.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown an installation comprising a pair' of superposed plates land 2, a bolt 3 extending through the plates and my first form of nut member A tightthe bolt to secure the .plates in fixed contiguous relation.

Another object of my invention isthe provision of a nut capable, as a result of its particular construction, of being moved over a bolt into position for final tightening action more easily than the aforesaid known nuts and particularly those known nuts intended to be used with larger size bolts.

Another object'is directed to the construction of my improved nut effecting a quick and very positive locking oi the tongues with the bolt shank upon turning the bolt to tighten finally Other objectsand features oi my invention will be apparent from inspection of the drawings and specification hereinbelow set forth.

My first form of nut member 4 is made from one piece of sheet metal and provides an elongated base portion 5 comprising end portions 8-6 connected together by relatively narrow flexible connecting portions 1-1. In my preferred form of nut member the base is normally fiat beforeassembly with the bolt. A pair of view, greatly enlarged,

-in any suitableway to engage properly between the threads '9 of the bolt shank I 8. i The free ends of the tongues are disposed in spaced relation and define an opening H for receiving the shank III. The opening II, in my preferred form, has

- ton'guestending to aid passage of the same over the threads is merely supplemental and the nut Y or nearly flattened, the tong'ueshave locked so the hut member works being understood that facturing tolerances in the present invention:

Position and for v the distance between .the A.- Bis the diameter ofthe bolt-:receiving open-' ing It and the normal distance between the 1 lower corner of the lower of the tongues8 and the lower surface of the base 8 is shown at C.

.7 bolt by bowing the move the. tongues a a smaller diameter than the major diameter of the shank I0. Assembly of the nut with the boltto hold the parts together is a relatively simple matter and is carried out through exerting pressure upon the ends 6 of the nut base to bow the base at the connecting portions 1-1. This action causes the tongues 8 to move apart a distance greater than the major diameter of'the shank l8. Then the nut member is moved along the shank relying almost entirely upon the bowed formation of the base to allow the tongues 8 to pass over the threads. Any resiliencyin the may be quickly moved substantially adjacent the parts to be secured together without reliance upon the aforesaid resiliency of the tongues 8 which .in small. nuts made of relatively thin material cannot be entirely eliminated. .The "normal diameter of the bolt-receiving opening I I is of predetermined smaller dimension relative to the major diameter of the shank It) so as to effect a bowing of the base when the nut member is in assembled untightened position (Fig. 3). Thus the tongues 8, in said untightened position, engage tightly between the threads under the tension effected by the tendency of the base to return to normal flat shape.' When the baseis tightened down against the parts to be secured together through rotation of J the bolt, the base tends to flatten out while the tongues follow' the screw threads toward the base, at the same time exerting progressively increasing inward force upon the bolt shank. As a result, when the base 5 has-become completely tightly'with the shank that continued rotation of the bolt as a result of unnaturally great force 4 applied to the same would cause a stripping .of the threads of the bolt shank. V

In order to explain in greater detail the improved action of my preferred form ofnut meniber, reference is made to Figs. 8, 9 and 10 in which I have shown enlarged diagrammatic views of my nut member in three positions relative to the bolt. These diagrammatic drawings are intended to illustrate the theory only-under which when the dimensions of exact preferred relation, it unavoidable differences in dimensions of the screw and nut due to manumay cause a different action than that illustrated in the diagrammatic draw- 60 ings, but which nevertheless effects a good fastening resulting from improvements embodied with-' all the parts are in Thus in Fig. 8 I have shown thetnut 'rnember in normal position priorgto assembl'y'with-the n5 bolt-shank... The baseportion iisin normal flat purposes of later comparison the-points of junction pf tongues 8 with the base portion is shown \fl The nut member is preferably placed upon the width of the tongues therebetween to expand the ton a the free ends of the tongues I in Fig. 9 may remain D of the bolt shank and passing the nut over the shank to move .the same into assembled untightened position with the free ends [2 of the, base 5 in close relation to the upper surface 13 of the top plate I. As a result of the relative 8-8 as compared with the narrower connecting portions 1, the latter portions yield during the bowing action at substan tially the centers 15 thereof. The centers l5 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8 preferably lie in a vertical plane passing through the center of the opening ll. Thus outward movement of the tongues to enlarge the bolt-receiving opening to permit passage of the shank of the bolt is effected almost entirely as a result of the bowing of the connecting portions 1 and little, if any, through expansion of the tongues as a result of engagement thereof with A the threads of the shank during passage over the threads. As a. result of this method it is not necessary for the-tongues to yield relative to the base attheir pointsof Junction with the base during passage over the threads, as-is the case with known nuts, and my present nut may. be easily passed over the bolt shank by hand even though the nut is made of relatively thick material as for use With a Ed -inch bolt. This action in initial assembly of my present nut is an improvement over previously known nuts and particularly known nuts formed, from relatively thick'material wherein it is difllcult to exert enough downward pressure on the nut by hand gues to effect passage of thesame over the threads. 4 j

After the nut has been placed over the shank of the bolt and moved .down to preferred final untightened position with the free ends l2 of the base 5 in close relation to the top plate I,

downward pressure vupon the base tending to how the connectingportions [is relaxed whereupon the portions I tend to expand towa d norvm'al fiat position. As a result of the act that the distance E (Fig. 9), which is the distance between the free ends of the tongues in boltengaging'position, is' greater than the distance -B (Fig. 8), it is impossible for the connecting portions 1 to return to normal position. Thus 8 engage between the bolt threads, as shown in Fig. 9, ,in a firm grip against the tension of the connecting portions 1 striving to return to normal flat position. It will be noticed in my preferred construction that the distance G .(Fig. 9) is slightly less than the distance A (Fig. 8) and the distance F .(Fig. 9), which is the distance between the lower'corner of the lower tongue 8 anda horizontal plane; through the junction of the tongues and-base at their lower sides, is relativelygreater than the distance C of Fig. 8. Also; it willbe seen that the angle H atthe junction of the tongues and base in the positions of portions of the nu t'qshown substantially the same as in the normal positions illustrated in Fig 6.

When the nut is tightenedagainst the plate I, pressure exerted upon the tongues 8i duringturning of the-bolt is transmitted to the ends of the base 5 which move outwardly aw y from the bolt shank. During this action'thej/connecting portions-1 tend to flatten out. ,"il'he tongues 8 ride doWnth'ebolt threads during the tightening action and at the same'time ainove inwardly so 3 as grip the shank with, progressively increasing force. When the base dies nearly reached flat shape. the tongues ei may have fetched up so l of my first form of nut member.

tight that they are caused to lift slightly when the base reaches absolute flat position with the result that the distance J (Fig. is slightly greater than the distance C of Fig. 8 and the angle K of Fig. 10 is slightly less than the angle H of Fig. 9. When the base'is in final flat position shown in Fig. 10, it is incapable of further expansion with the result that further rotation of the bolt through unusual force applied thereto would tend to bring the tongues 8 downwardly toward the base 5. However, the tongues 8 in theory are exerting maximum force upon the bolt thread without cutting into the thread substantially at the time the base reaches flat shape and as a consequence, further inward movement of the tongues as a result of continued rotation of the bolt must cause the tongues to dig into the threads with consequent stripping of the same.

Thus it will be seen that as a result or my 'imthe bolt even though the device is subjected to continuous jar and vibration.

Furthermore, the construction of my nut device to my preferred relative dimensions set out above wherein the tongues may fetch up in a position in higher relation to the base than in normal relative position effects a quick and very positive locking action. At the same time, as a result ofthe' relative positions of the tongues when finally locked with' the shank, it is impossible to bring the tongues far enough down to enable the nut base to be turned inside out.

In addition, it will be seen that the nut in final tightened position exerts an upward stress upon the bolt as a result of the tendency of the,

base to move into the bowed shape of assembled untightened position thus tending to draw the plates tightly together.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a second form of nut member comprising a base ll having end portions II|5 connected by narrow flexible connecting portions I6. Tongues II are struck up from the base I4 which are similar in form to the tongues- It will be seen that the end portions I5 are wider than in my first form and extend beyond the lines of junction of the tongues 11 therewith toward the center of p the base soas to give additional strength to the nut member, as may be required if the nut member is made very small and of relatively thin material. In this form of my invention there are relatively wide openings it between the longitudinal edges of the tongues l1 and the inner longitudinal edges 19 of the connecting portions I6.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated a third form of my invention which is similar to my first form. but diifers from the same in that I have widened the base at desired points by providing wing' toward the center of the base. These wing portions serve to strengthenthe nut member should it be desired.

Although I have illustrated and described preferred embodiments of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereby because the scope of my invention is best defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A spring nut comprising a flexible base portion having end portions and connecting portions extending between the end portions and spaced apart, said connecting portions being of such thin material and such narrow width at at least one point between the end portions that the base portion is easily bent along a line transverse'to said connecting portions by manual pressure applied to said end portions, and bolt-engaging portions integrally joined to said end portions and projecting from the plane of said base. said bolt-engaging portions havingtheir free ends terminating in spaced relation and providing a bolt-receiving opening therebetween, said base being adapted to be moved over the free end of said bolt, said free ends of said boltengaging portions being spaced apart in normal unflexed shape of said base portion a distance less than the diameter of a bolt to be extended therebetween whereby said free ends may engage frictionally said bolt under the spring tension of said bent base at all points along the axial length of said bolt at which'said nut may be disposed, and said base being flexible to a degree to enable said bolt-engaging portions to move over said bolt substantially without yielding at their points or junction with said base.

2. A spring nut comprising a flexible base portion having end portions and connecting portions jecting from the plane of said base, said tongue portions having their free ends terminating in spaced relation and providing a bolt-receiving opening therebetween, said base being adapted to be moved over the free end of a threaded bolt, said free ends of said tongues being spaced apart .in normal unfiexed shape of said base a predetermined distance less than the smallest root diameter which may ordinarily be provided on a threaded bolt of predetermined outside diameter whereby said free nds may engage frictionally said bolt between the "breads thereof under the spring tension of said bent base at all points along the axial length of said bolt at which said nut may be disposed, and said bas being flexible to a degree to enable said tongues to move over said bolt threads substantially withoutyielding at their points of junction with said base.

HOWARD J. MURPHY. 

